Archive for December, 2007

For me, it seems to function in two ways: 1. I underestimate the amount of time I’ll need to pack everything, and finish either just in time, or a bit late; 2. I forego sleep, only to find that not only is half of what I need to put in a suitcase stuff I can’t put away until I’ve used them the next day anyway, but also that I have way more room than I thought I would have.

One guess for which one it is now.

Of course, it is not uncommon for both to happen, and, “Whoa, extra space,” can very easily slide into, “Criminy, I’m brining a lot of stuff!” It’s a little aggravating to not have my pilgrimage clothes here — having nothing but undergarments and socks in one’s suitcase isn’t exactly condusive to feeling prepared. But really, it’s just me being paranoid. Although there’s that other shirt that I haven’t been able to find…

So. Pilgrimage. Really, actually happening. No foolin’. This is not a test. I would know, having taken three in the past two days.

But yeah, I don’t know what to say, or even what I’m thinking. I mean, Mom’s been on pilgrimage before, Layli’s made a prayer list, and I…am on my computer at 4:30 in the morning listening to music on my iPod. I should be doing something, like making my own list, or saying those prayers I forgot to say yesterday, or looking for those receipts that Dad called me about, or…I dunno.

I guess I feel a bit self-conscious about what all technology I’m planning on bringing. I have my iPod for sharing my They Might Be Giants tunes, and for listening to on the flights. I have my DS for something to do at x-thousand feet above sea level as well. And then my cell phone, for just in case and whatnot. Should I really be bringing stuff like that to Haifa, though? I mean, I would love to be able to serve mankind by working with video games, and I guess they’d have some residual blessing from having traveled to Haifa, but…is it sacriligeous to even have them there? That’s kind of what it feels like. Maybe that’s society talking, though.

Hmmm…I could be doing very-very last minute laundry, but I don’t want to wake anyone up. To err on the side of caution…

A lot of other thoughts I could expound on, but in the face of what’s to come, they seem fairly insignificant. Oh, except! My Japanese teacher wants to hear about the Baha’i Faith from me when I get back. Just the thought of that makes me really, incredibly nervous. I don’t know that I’ve ever really explained the Baha’i Faith to anyone with any great amount of clarity, and I can barely even explain things to myself. He wants to hear about it from me?? I feel totally underqualified. Where the “der” is what my mind does when I think about it.